Stranger offers Billy his lung
Billy’s sister, Lisa, was startled but deeply moved by the offer which she said was genuine although completely out of the question on medical, practical and ethical grounds.
“A man rang from Kilkenny and said he would gladly give one of his lungs if it would suit Billy, and he was really serious. He was prepared to survive on one lung if it helped,” she said.
“It’s been like that since Billy went public. The reaction has been huge. The phone hasn’t stopped with people ringing up to thank him or wish him well and ask if there is anything they can do to help.”
Billy was trying to take things easy yesterday after the excitement of Monday’s protest rally which brought his home town of Killorglin to a standstill as businesses shut and thousands took to the streets to highlight his plight.
But although Minister for Arts John O’Donoghue promised to raise Billy’s case with Health Minister Micheál Martin yesterday, there were no new developments and Billy was already considering the next phase of his campaign, which could involve him running in the local elections in June.
“The support has been brilliant and it has given Billy such a lift to know it’s not just him who thinks there’s something wrong with the transplant situation but he is a bit tired today so we’ve been trying to ease off and let him recharge,” said Lisa.
“I don’t think we can put the ministers under any more pressure ... so we’ll give them a tiny bit of space to see what they can do.
“But we’re not going to sit still for long. If we don’t see anything happening, we’ll pile on the pressure again. Hopefully it won’t come to him having to run for election but if that’s what it takes, he’s prepared to do it.”
